First Friday shooting suspect appears in court

February 5, 2013 10:12:28 PM PST

by Nick Smith

OAKLAND, Calif. --

The fate of Oakland's popular First Friday art walk and street festival is in jeopardy after a shooting last Friday night. The suspect in that shooting appeared in court Tuesday as Oakland's mayor spoke out about possible changes to the festival.

Fans of the event it's one of the crown jewels for the city which happens on a regular basis. After it ended Friday, things took a violent turn. A shooting left one man dead and at least three others injured. Oakland's First Friday/Art Murmur had been a thing of pride for the city. The monthly event draws thousands and has only increased in popularity.

On Tuesday, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan spoke out about the violence and the plan the city will use going forward. "Clearly, it has become a very important part of the city's culture. It would be, it's sort of like what Mardi Gras is to New Orleans except that we have it every month," she said. "We're going to do our best to make sure that it's safe and successful."

Quan said the city has a three-point plan that involves increasing security, possibly scaling down the size of the event, and coming up with different ways to pay for the event moving forward. Nonetheless, she was clear to point out that she believes the event should continue moving forward.

The man charged in last Friday's incident has been identified as Donald Parks Jr. He is facing eight felony counts and currently being held on bail.